Indian envoy to meet Pak FS over Kulbhushan Jadhav sentencing

Islamabad [Pakistan], Apr. 14 (ANI): Indian High Commissioner Gautam Bambawale will meet Pakistan Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua on Friday in connection with the death sentence given to former Indian naval official and alleged spy Kulbhushan Jadhav.

Jadhav was arrested in March last year, "for his involvement in espionage and sabotage activities against Pakistan," according to a statement released by the Pakistan armed forces.

The statement said Jadhav confessed that he was tasked by Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), to "plan, coordinate and organize espionage/sabotage activities aiming to destabilise and wage war against Pakistan."

A military court in Pakistan earlier this week found Jadhav guilty on two counts of espionage and sentenced him to death.

India has strongly objected to the sentencing, saying consular officials were denied access to Jadhav during his trial.

External Affairs Minister, Sushma Swaraj had issued a stern warning to Pakistan, saying that Islamabad should be wary of taking such an extreme step as it could result in damaging the bilateral relations between the already hostile neighbors and vowed to go "out of the way" to save Jadhav amid an outrage in this country.

Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, had said Jadhav has the right to appeal against his death sentence within 60 days.

However, Asif also defended the Pakistan Government's decision to execute Kulbhushan, saying that all legal processes had been